Bill could allow Catholics to represent King at Church of Scotland assembly

A new Bill could allow Catholics to represent the monarch at the Church of Scotland’s annual assembly for the first time in history.

The Bill, proposed by Labour MP Pat McFadden, responds to the appointment of Lady Elish Angiolini KC, a practising Catholic, as Lord High Commissioner to the Church of Scotland’s 2025 General Assembly.

The role is a personal appointment by the monarch and carries significant symbolic and historical importance.

The Lord High Commissioner represents the relationship between the British monarchy and the Church of Scotland, which is entirely separate from the Church of England.

The Church of Scotland is closer to Calvinism and not part of the Anglican Communion.

Although the Church of Scotland is the national Church, it is not state-controlled. Unlike in the Church of England, where the King is Supreme Governor, in the Church of Scotland the reigning Monarch is an ordinary member.

The Bill is necessary because some laws still bar Catholics from certain offices, as they were not repealed under the Roman Catholic Relief Act 1829.

Before the Act, Catholics were excluded from much of public life, including sitting in Parliament, becoming judges, and serving as officers in the army.

While the Act was designed to lift many restrictions on Catholics, it also maintained specific exclusions to preserve Protestant control over certain offices and institutions.

Notably, a clause within it states: “Nothing herein contained shall extend or be construed to extend to enable any person or persons professing the Roman Catholic religion, to hold or exercise … His Majesty’s High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.”

Lady Elish was born in Glasgow in 1960 and studied law at the University of Strathclyde before joining the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Rising swiftly through the ranks, she became the first woman and first solicitor to serve as Solicitor General for Scotland in 2001.

In 2006, Lady Elish made history again as the first woman and first non-advocate to be appointed Lord Advocate, Scotland’s top legal officer.

She played a key role in modernising the prosecution service, particularly in handling sexual offences and domestic abuse cases. Her tenure was marked by bold reforms and a strong commitment to victims’ rights.

After stepping down in 2011, she chaired major inquiries, including investigations into police handling of rape cases and deaths in custody.

In 2012, she was appointed Principal of St Hugh’s College, Oxford, and in 2017, she became a Pro-Vice-Chancellor. She was also a candidate in the 2024 University of Oxford Chancellor election.

Expressing her enthusiasm for her new role, Lady Elish said: “This is an immense honour, and I very much look forward to the General Assembly in May.”

The appointment marks a historic shift in a country that has endured centuries of division between the two Churches.

The Cabinet Office described it as “a significant gesture of unity, goodwill and collaboration between the Church of Scotland and the Catholic Church in Scotland”.

(Photo of Lady Elish by Andrew Milligan – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

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